PhantomGhost
by Satoshi-H
Summary: 'Your victorious grin almost splits your face in half, and you know this is where it all begins.' For his newest conquest, Vlad sets his eyes on Clockwork's staff. pompous pep.
1. PhantomGhost

**Title: **Phantom;Ghost

**Rating: **T

**Summary: **_**'**__Your victorious grin almost splits your face in half, and you know this is where it all begins.' _For his newest conquest, Vlad sets his eyes on Clockwork's staff.

**Pairing: **danvlads / pompous pep ect.

**Notes: **Actually the longest thing I've ever written. Which is sad because it's not that long, but damn does it feel like it to me! Haha. You don't have to know anything about Steins;Gate to read this, it was just a large inspiration. And my beta yuans-crotch. Her too.

8:00

The malevolent swirling space of the Ghost Zone you float in is heavy and thick in your throat.

It's almost oppressive, as if the place itself is alive and is trying to tell you that it doesn't want you there, and that's probably not that far off from the truth.

You can see many other ghosts in the corner of your eyes, although they are all of the mindless, generic kind. The more sentient ghosts steer clear of this place, and you understand why.

The dark clock tower looms over you, and you feel your traitorous heart skip a beat in excitement.

You've heard the rumors about this lair, and the ghost that lives here. A mysterious being that has the power to rewrite the time of the entire world, yet content to only watches as it spins in sleepy luxury. It's taken you a disturbingly long time to dig up any information on him at all, you only just managed to find out where he resided. From what you did hear, however, the stories were impressive. Frightening, even, if you had been a man of weaker heart.

And that's why, when you infiltrate the top of the tower to where you are sure he is waiting, you are uneasy and surprised.

The room is empty.

The ghost is startlingly missing, and it seems like all of time in that little room is frozen, holding its breath. When you're almost sure you're alone, you look around and survey your surroundings. Clocks are everywhere, all of them ticking in disarray and creating a barrier of white noise. There is what looks to be some sort of rack, but whatever it once held is gone. However, neither of these things are the apple that catches your greedy eyes.

Levitating in the middle of the room is a staff. You're so enraptured with it that you forget to be cautious and stride up to it like a King returning to his throne. Crowned on its top is what looks like an ornate alarm clock. You can't tear your eyes away. It's beautiful.

It's beautiful, and it's yours.

8:00

You spend the next few weeks trying to figure out how to work the staff. It is certainly no easy feat. There are secrets hidden in the staff, you are sure, but after a whole month you have only managed to freeze time around you for a few minutes at a time. You can't help but feel a little frustrated and at a loss. You won't let it show, though. You parade your prize around like a simple walking stick to let everyone who sees it know exactly what you've conquered. Not that you actually fought anything, but who has to know that?

The night air is cold on your face as you look over Amity Park. You can feel the presence of a few other spectral entities below you, and you know for sure one of them is the boy. He's never been good at hiding himself.

A wretched scream rips through the air, and you freeze. It's not a scream of pain, but one of sadness, loss, regret, anger and it's piercing your mind over and over you know this voice this scream this emotion this is

Your racing mind crashes to a halt as you feel Daniel's surefire and annoying presence

flicker

and then

disappear.

Your feel panicked as you grasp the staff and skid in and out and around buildings, searching for the boy. Your core feels like it's jumped into your throat just like your heart would have had you been in human form, burning with unnatural heat.

There is an alley. You land on the cracked cement, and carefully walk in. The darkness around you is suffocating, just like the air of the Ghost Zone. Something stinks. You wonder what that means.

A strange shape is in front of you, but you cannot make out what it is. With a twisted feeling in your gut that you can't quite explain, you allow a small amount of ectoplasm to bubble to your fingertips and light up your surroundings.

You immediately wish you hadn't, and take a shaking step back. Shell-shocked, your transformation slips and Plasmius becomes Masters. You can't breathe. Some inappropriate part of your brain whispers to you that that's ok, because neither can Daniel.

The boy is lying on his back on top of a pile of crates. There is a sick mixture of blood and ectoplasm coating every surface you can see. Your hands are shaking as they thread themselves into your hair, and you stumble forwards. His eyes are shut, and there is a trail of ectoplasm trickling from his mouth. His white hair flutters in the cold night air's breeze. You have to breathe out.

The thought comes rushing into you like a freight train. He's dead.

Actually gone and dead, properly this time. You feel sick.

You can't take it.

He's self-righteous, vain, a fool, a brat, the only other person like you on earth, and he's dead.

The staff slips out of your hand like deadweight, rolling behind you. You fall backwards, and for a second everything is quiet except for your head. Your fingers brush the metal of the staff.

"No. This can't be happening. **No**!"

A click. Cogs, grinding against each other. More clicks.

Your entire world shatters.

8:00

Your face is pressed into a rather uncomfortable piece of cement. You lie there in confusion for a moment before scrambling - in a dignified way - to your feet. You're in the alleyway. The alley? What alley?-

It all comes rushing back and you spin around chest twisting uncomfortably and you don't know why you're looking again it's not something you want to see but you can't stop yourself it's all

He's not there. Daniel isn't there.

You can't bring yourself to do anything but stand there like a fool and stare. You've got to think. He was defiantly dead, your stomach chokes. It only takes you a moment.

Someone must have happened across Daniel's body as Phantom. Who would take custody of the body of a ghost if it was found? You feel an icy chill spread up your spine.

Maddie and Jack.

If they dissect the body, what they'll find...

You've grabbed the staff and your legs are racing you there before you've even decided to go.

8:00

You're standing in the Fenton's lab, staring in disbelief as Daniel nonchalantly releases a common ghost back into the zone. When the boy turns around and sees you, he lets out an undignified yelp. You keep staring. Is it possible for a half-ghost to simply... become a full ghost after death? You suppose it makes sense, but it seems...

You can barely hear his ridiculous squawking as you stalk up to him and press your hand over his heart before he has time to retaliate.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

It's certainly going a little faster than normal, but given the situation that's not unnatural. What's unnatural is the fact that there's a heartbeat at all. The boy is spluttering and hissing like a wet cat, and if you weren't too busy trying to figure out why he's alive at all, you would be snickering. Okay, maybe you're still snickering. Just a little. And if you are, it's because he's being ridiculous again. Not the creeping feeling of relief sinking into your bones.

8:00

When you're safe back in your mansion and you've had some time to sit down and think, you think you've realized what happened. The staff. Somehow, you must have changed the past using it. But how? You didn't go back in time; that much you know. So what happened?

It takes you another day to realize the answer. You have to test it to make sure you're right, but you want to be careful about this. If this works the way you think it does, this could be terribly uncontrollable. You need to take it slowly. You need a drink.

You realize you never went out to get the new bottle of wine that you'd been wanting. An idea forms in your head. You grip the staff tightly, and close your eyes to think. You focus your whole mind, and think:

_Five days ago, I went out to buy that bottle of wine._

You wait a few moments. Nothing happens. You're about to give up again, before you decide to try something small. This time, instead, you say it aloud.

"Five days ago, I went out to buy that bottle of wine."

The world wobbles, then shatters in a myriad shower of colors and lights.

8:00

You wake up standing this time. It feels like someone has poured a bucket of water over your head. You look around. Everything seems the same, but you know that feeling now. You almost miss it.

Sitting on the table, opened and half empty, is the bottle of wine.

Your victorious grin almost splits your face in half, and you know this is where it all begins.

Next to the table, your favorite green and gold chair is now all a stark, clean white.

Victory gives way to confusion and unease.

8:00

The Butterfly Effect: A theory where something small can create large changes. For example, a butterfly flapping its wings on one side of the world can be causing tornadoes on the other. It's never something you've really believed in, but now you're going to have to rethink things. As much as you want to start granting your deepest wishes like your own fairy godmother, you know you have to be careful. You have no idea what will happen. If just buying a bottle of wine can somehow replace your favorite chair, what kind of consequences could something farther back and more important have?

You've had enough of your plans being ruined by both the boy and their own holes. This is something you've worked towards for a long time, and you need to make sure it works perfectly.

When you go to sleep that night, Daniel's broken and bleeding body is your nightmares.

8:00

Danny knows exactly who the staff you had in your hand belongs to, and he flies to Clockwork's tower as soon as he gets the chance. Clockwork is there, waiting for him like always. When he asks how you managed to steal his staff from him, Clockwork simply smiles at him gravely and replies with an edict.

"Some lessons must be learned the hard way, dear boy."

8:00

Daniel shows up at your door not long after your first experiment with his arms crossed and his foot tapping angrily. You have half a mind to turn him away before he can even say anything, but a flash of an alley full of blood and ectoplasm changes your mind.

"I am truly surprised, Daniel, that you apparently do have the manners to use the door like a normal person. Why you've obtained on using them until now evades me."

The boy raises opens his mouth as if about to start a fight, but closes it with an audible snap and rubs his temples instead. "Why do you have that staff, Vlad? That belongs to Clockwork."

"And I took it from him, so now it is mine. It's the way the world works, my boy. Get used to it." He looks like he wants to hit you, but is still restraining himself. Now you're curious. "You obviously want something. Spit it out, _Daniel_, before I close my door."

"I went to see him. I went to see Clockwork." Your blood runs cold.

"I... see. Then, he has asked you to retrieve his things like a delivery mutt, I assume."

Daniel's face is scrunching up more and more, almost like he's biting into a lemon. You laugh inwardly, and wait for him to respond.

"Well... no. No, he didn't." It's as you feared. The ghost doesn't trust the boy to do the job, and is coming after you. You'll have to be ready. But that doesn't explain why Daniel came to warn you.

"Then... If you don't mind me asking, Daniel, why are you here on my doorstep at noon on a weekday when, by the law, you should be in school?" He at least has the graciousness to look a little sheepish at that.

"I don't trust you, _Plasmius_."

"Well, obviously."

"I don't know why Clockwork thinks he can just let you run around with his staff like this. I mean, come on. Even you have to think that's a little weird, right?"

You do agree with him, but that's beside the point. "And what exactly do you think you're going to do, _hmm_? Come in here yourself and try to _steal it back_? Try to break into my own home to _defeat me_? Oh, do please enlighten me, Daniel, what's going through that _puny little brain of yours_?"

The boy is grinding his teeth, clenching and unclenching his fists. You'll never admit it, but you're a bit taken aback. You were sure he would have snapped like a rubber band by now, but he's still keeping it together.

"Clockwork basically said it's ok, and I trust him. But I don't trust you. So I'm going to stick around and keep an eye on you. Make sure you don't do anything bad with it."

He's standing up straight in front of you on your doorstop with his hands clenched at his sides and staring at you like the determined little soldier he no doubt thinks he is, and you almost break out in startled laughter. Almost. Really, you just stand there on the other side of the door with your eyebrows practically climbing into your hair.

"So, let me get this straight. You're _telling me_ that you're going to waltz into _my home _and sit around and more than likely _sabotage _my experiments?" You can't believe he's this stupid. You always knew he was stupid, but this is on a new level.

He huffs and rolls his eyes. How rude. "No! I mean, I guess for once in your life whatever you're doing is ok - but I totally don't believe that you know, you're always up to no good - so I swear I won't mess whatever you're doing up. I just- It'll make me feel a lot more at ease if I can see that you're not doing anything that can hurt anyone. And- and besides! Even if you say no, I'm just going to do it anyways."

You really shouldn't. You know this will come back to haunt you, but in a split second you've made up your mind. You close your eyes for a moment before opening them again, resolved. "Fine."

Daniel blinks. "What?"

It's your turn to roll your eyes as you step out of the doorway and allow the stupid boy inside.

8:00

It's taken a while, but the two of you have finally agreed to a tentative set of rules.

Number 1: Daniel is not allowed to talk unless you talk to him first. He can sit around and be bored as much as he wants, but he is _not going to _distract you with mindless chatter. He doesn't accept this one at first, but eventually he gives in, as this is a rule you will not budge on.

Number 2: Daniel is not allowed to touch the staff. There will be no sabotaging. None.

Number 3: Daniel has to come by after school, or when there is none. He needs to finish his education, not ditch around at your house all day. And you will call.

Number 4 is the only rule for you. You can only do actual tests while he's there. It's a rule you're not happy about, but Daniel's making an effort and you're not going to look like the spoiled brat here.

You were expecting shouting, yelling and fighting, but the first day just ended up being awkward and quiet. You suppose you should be thankful that by some blessing of fate, Daniel is actually following the rules you set, but it just seems strange.

You're sitting at your table, running your hands over the tiny runes engraved in the metal of the staff, and Daniel is lounging on one of the plush chairs behind you. He's watching what you're doing with wary eyes, but makes no move to stop you.

Neither of you say a word; Daniel goes home.

8:00

The second day is just as awkward as the first. You're sitting in the same spot you were the day before when Daniel shows up at three thirty, and sits in the same chair as before. You observe the staff and he observes you for a whole hour before you snap. You turn away from the table and look at him.

"Does Maddie know you're here?" The question tumbles from your mouth.

"No, why?" His voice is a straight deadpan.

"What if she's looking for you?"

"I don't come home until later anyways. This is nothing new. She won't be looking for me." He looks away.

A snarl rumbles in your throat. "Certainly your _perfect _father _Jack_ is wondering where his son is, hmm?" Daniel's head whips back around to glare at you before you've even finished your sentence.

"I'm _trying _to be civil, Vlad!" He shouts, banging his fist on the arm of the chair.

"Civil? _Civil? _Daniel, my boy, you don't have the _right _to try and be civil! Not after the countless times you've _attacked _and _ridiculed_ me and my life!" You're furious, and the two of you are on your feet now.

"Me?! What I've done?! Are you serious?! And my name is Danny!"

Daniel's eyes are blazing, and he takes a step forward. You stand up straighter in anticipation of a fight, and it's deadly silent.

That is, until, his stomach growls.

The tips of his ears are turning red, and his flushed face changes from an expression of anger to one of embarrassment. Your mouth is still hanging open in mid-shout. All of the tension has been sapped from the room, just like that. You school your features together and cross your arms.

"I sincerely hope you don't expect me to feed you as well? Maybe you want me to roll you up in a blanket and kiss you goodnight after reading you a _bedtime _story?" Your words are mocking, and so is your tone.

He blushes and growls. "What, aren't you the rich one? Can't spare some chump change? For your information, I brought my own food anyways." Daniel goes back to his chair and sits down, pulling a lopsided looking peanut butter sandwich from his pocket.

You stare.

He looks at the sandwich.

You're still staring.

He's refusing to look at you.

Groaning, you slam your chair into the table and make an exaggerated sweep of your hand towards the downstairs kitchen.

"Come on then, Daniel."

He holds up his sandwich and shakes it.

You raise your eyebrow and snatch it from his hand. He yelps and tries to grab it back, but playing keep away is quite easy when you're twice the size of your opponent. He doesn't manage to take it before you dunk the disgusting thing in the trash.

8:00

Although you've been dreading it, the weekend eventually rolls along. Your fears are confirmed when Daniel shows up again after school on Friday with a sleeping bag and a determined face. You consider forcibly kicking him out, but you're already tired and don't want to deal with the hassle.

He easily settles down into his chair, and watches as you get to work.

Or, as you _would_ get to work. Because you're not working at all.

You can't figure out how to make it so the effects of the staff are more controllable. It's killing you. You're gnawing uncharacteristically at your bottom lip as you study the runes on the bottom hilt. If only you could read them, this would be so much easier. Finally, you lean back in the chair and press your fingers into your eyes, shaking your head. This isn't going anywhere.

". . . Vlad?" Daniel's voice rings in the silence, and interrupts the thoughts in your head.

"I thought I told you _not to talk when I'm thinking_!" You hiss. "Rule Number 1! Or did you forget that?!"

"You didn't look like you were getting anything done anyways," he mutters.

You sigh heavily and return to your earlier pose of defeat. A few minutes pass before he speaks up again.

"What's... the problem?"

Scoffing, you wave dismissingly at him. "As if a simple mind like _yours_ could grasp the concepts of power like this."

He stands up and walks over to the table, glaring. You swat at his hand. "Rule Number 2, Daniel. No touching."

". . . What's going wrong, Vlad?"

You're not getting anywhere as it is. At the least, you'll be proven right.

"It's too volatile. I can't control it well enough." Your voice is airy, as if you're discussing the weather.

Daniel scratches his head and is quiet for a few moments, presumably thinking. "Well, shouldn't you start with finding out what you are able to do, and then try and expand from there? Or fix problems that you're already having?"

"Of course, you stupid boy. That's what I've been doing this whole time."

"Where do things start going wrong?"

Humming under your breath, you entwine your fingers, and look away. "I tried to get myself to buy a bottle of wine. For some reason, the sofa was white after that."

"And?"

You feel a surge of annoyance from earlier that had almost died down. "And? There's nothing else."

He stares at you for a long time. "That's all you've actually done with the thing? Tried to get a bottle of wine?"

8:00

You try actually using the staff once more. You were watching the news when a report came on covering a sudden crash in the stock market due to forged bills. You try to use the power of the staff to reverse it. When you come back to yourself, the report you're watching is about a family killed in a recent bank robbery. You try to bite back the guilt that swims into your gut. Daniel notices the look on your face and asks.

It shouldn't have come as such a shock that Daniel doesn't remember you using the staff, but it does. In a moment of stupidity, you tell him about the crash, and changing it.

His face falls, and he leaves.

He doesn't come back for two days.

8:00

On Thursday, you're watching the news again. There is a story on a young girl killed in a car crash. Daniel is looking at you, and you decide. You stand with the staff, and change the past. The world shatters, and then you're back. You turn to talk to Daniel.

He's not there. The mansion is empty.

Two hours later, he shows up apologetic, talking about his school keeping him after to talk to all the students about drunk driving.

8:00

You try to change something in the far past, once. Daniel disapproves, but agrees anyways.

You can't.

You can only touch so far back.

8:00

You want to know if it would be possible to actually send yourself back in time using the staff. Daniel seems to think it's possible, but you're not sure. To find new ways to use the power is to understand its fundamentals, something you have yet to do.

The limit is 21 days. Three weeks. That's the farthest you can stretch the staff's influence. You find this out when you use the staff to make one of your business rivals agree to join your plan. Daniel is furious.

Absentmindedly, you know that you could always wait for Daniel to leave, and then use to the staff to make him not come to you at all.

You think about all the little fights you've had, and all the annoyances he's caused while he's been hanging around.

He wouldn't remember any of it.

For some reason, your chest twists uncomfortably and you know that's something you won't be doing.

8:00

Daniel bursts into the mansion shouting and waving his arms around like a fool the next morning. You're sitting at the kitchen counter wearing a bathrobe with your hair down and a steaming mug of coffee in your hand.

You can literally see him freeze when he sees you. He's shaking in place obviously trying not to laugh.

It doesn't work.

When you're dressed, you come back and ask him why he's here and not at school. Rule Number 3. He looks at you blankly for a moment, before shouting in surprise.

Ah. He forgot. You shake your head solemnly. Should have known.

Daniel's all a blur again, yapping nonsense. You try to calm him down.

"Oh butter biscuits, boy, will you _shut up_?! It is an ungodly hour of the morning, and you are _howling in my ears!" _

"No, no, Vlad! I think I've got it! I've figured it out!" He looks very excited. You're not amused.

"Figured _what_ out?" Be patient. Be patient.

"The staff! I know why it's so uncontrollable!"

Your eyes widen. "_What?!" _

"Yeah! I think I got it!" His face is cracked in half with an enormous grin, and a little part of you hopes that he's right. "See, Clockwork is a really, really powerful ghost, right?! It only makes sense that his staff would be just as powerful as him! I think it's not working right because you're not strong enough to use its full power!"

You feel like strangling him, never mind. "Are you implying that I'm weak, Daniel? Because I can prove you wrong right here, you-"

"No! Not like that! Well, kinda like that, but! I'm not putting you down, I- I wouldn't be able to use it either, I don't think. If you don't have enough power to control the staff, it would end up going berserk after the power ran out! And call me _Danny!_"

It made sense. "Then how do you expect me to properly use its power, hmm?"

He slumps and looks down.

"I... hadn't gotten to that one yet."

8:00

You decide that you want to use the staff again. It's almost ritual now. You and Daniel sit down in front of the tv and turn on the news, looking. Looking for something interesting to change. Finally, something catches your eye. A nearby town has reduced the age needed to consume alcohol by a few years. Daniel laughs and makes a joke, but you're serious. You manage to convince him to your side easily with a short rant on adolescent drivers, and reminding him of the drunk driving speech the school gave. He's still snorting, though.

You raise the staff, and activate it. The world is spinning and the colors are back and you feel sick and

You're back in front of the tv again, breathing hard. You look over to Daniel. He's sitting in front of it, eyes wide and pale as a sheet. You're confused. Why. . . ?

You look to the tv.

The entire town has apparently been wiped off the map in enormous explosion, along with 400 people inside.

8:00

Daniel keeps coming back, but you're not working on the staff's power anymore.

You don't tell him about what changed when you used it.

He says that between the two of you, you should have enough power to literally send you back in time.

You try not to listen.

8:00

It's the 14th of June. A Monday. You're minding your own business and sitting in the kitchen again when Daniel shows up. His mouth is pulled tight, and his shoulders are hunched up to his ears. You resist the urge to snort. He looks ridiculous. He asks you if you know he's graduating high school in three days. You say you didn't, but you did. He tells you that Maddie is throwing a party tonight. You tell him to go back home.

8:00

Honestly, you don't know why you decided to show up to this. You knock on the Fenton's door, trying to look anywhere but at it. Jack opens the door, and you agilely dodge his hug for once. Sliding inside, you're surprised to see it's not an actual party. Really, the Fentons and Daniel's two little friends seem to be the only people here. Maddie comes into the room, and you thank her for her hospitality, and congratulate Daniel on his accomplishments. He smiles, and thanks you.

It's a very awkward get-together, but not terribly miserable. You steer clear of Jack, but when you do see him you manage to get a few nasty quips in. Acceptable.

Soon, boredom convinces Daniel to drag out a board game. You don't really want to play, but Jack decides that you're required to. Protests are met with deaf ears, and you're roped into a game of monopoly.

Really, who do they think they are? _You're _the billionaire here.

The game stretches on for an hour or two, and you show no mercy. Samantha almost beats you, but an unlucky roll of the dice decides her fate. You gloat happily, and the last survivor against your reign of terror is wiped out. The partygoers spread out and begin to mingle once again, chatting and laughing. You fight the urge to smile. This isn't exactly your scene, but. . . you could get used to it.

No win is complete without lording it over Daniel's head, however, so after a breif scan of the room you're searching him out. He's disappeared from the horde of people, but you don't know where.

You're not looking very long before you find him sitting in his kitchen, sipping on a glass of milk.

"Tired, Daniel?" Judging by the startled look on his face, you've caught him off guard.

"No. . . not particuarly. Thirsty, though!" He holds his glass up like a toast, before tipping it back again. "If you're hungry there's food in the fridge."

Curious, you pop the door open. "Check the bottom drawer, Vlad." He drawls, and you can hear him leaning back in his chair behind you. Pulling the shelf out, you snort. Six or seven of the disgusting looking sandwiches from earlier are wrapped up and being stored there. Slamming the door shut, you cross your arms and turn to look at Daniel. He's grinning like mad, and rocking back and forth in his chair.

With a concealed bolt of ectoplasm from one of your fingers, you snap one of the chair's back legs and Daniel goes crashing to the floor. "Aah, Daniel, _do _watch what you're doing! You wouldn't want to get hurt on the day of your high school graduation party, would you?"

What's left of the milk in his glass has splattered over the front of his shirt, soaking it. He sits up slowly, rubbing his bottom. You're sure he's finally going to attack you, but he just flops back down and starts laughing.

8:00

The conversation has devolved into small talk, but you're blocking it out. You look around the room, and chuckle to yourself. As much as you love her, you don't quite agree with Maddie's taste for decorations. Everything is all very plain and simple. Even the clock-

The clock has stopped at eight PM. You stare at it for a while, wondering if they forgot to rewind it. You keep looking, and notice a tiny hourglass sitting in one of the open cabinets. Your eyes widen. The hourglass has also stopped. Only, there is still sand on the top. Everything is still and silent, even though you know people are talking. Daniel notices the expression on your face, and follows your gaze. When he looks back at you, for a short second, the two of you share a worried glance.

There are steps outside. Moving fast. You feel your heart beat faster. You're just getting up when the door slams open.

Men in white suits pour into the room. You vaguely hear shouting, but your gut is spinning in nervous circles. There must be ten, if not more of them. They all have large guns, and don't seem to be hesitating on pointing them. These are not the everyday grunts, you know automatically.

Everyone is standing together with their hands in the air. The girl, Samantha, is screaming about people's rights and safety, but they aren't listening to her at all. A man moves to the front, and makes an announcement.

"Daniel Fenton and Vlad Masters are to be taken into custody. Do not resist. We have permission to shoot. These bullets are laced with ectoplasm. They will kill you, human or half-ghost."

You feel Daniel seize up next to you, and you're sure the same thought is racing through his head. _They know. _

Maddie steps forward, and demands to know why.

The true lioness, protecting her cub.

There is a small explosion, and the room fills with smoke. You barely register the fact that one of Daniel's little friends has thrown a homemade smoke bomb, but you grab onto Daniel's arm and dash across the room towards Maddie.

The men are shouting blindly, and one sees the two of you running. He takes aim, and in surprise you let go of the boy's arm. Your breath stops in your throat as you realize he's the one the man is targeting.

The shot rings out.

A thud as the bullet hits home, but not into Daniel. He falls backwards, having been pushed out of the way at the last minute by Maddie, who crumbles to the floor, blood running down her beautiful face.

Everything is still.

"M-mom? Mom!" Daniel crawls over to her and shakes her shoulder. She doesn't move. You knew she wouldn't.

"No moving is allowed. Come quietly." The man repeats, as he raises his gun again.

His tiny body is hunched over hers, and it shudders with sobs as he cries into her chest. You're shaking like a leaf as you run your eyes over her. It feels like your entire world has slowed to a stop and ended. Not Maddie. Why? Why her? Why-

A thick layer of ice grows from the floor and encases the men in almost the blink of an eye. Daniel leaps away from his mother and races towards you.

"Vlad! Wake up! _NOW!" _Something stings your cheek. Did he just slap you?

"Daniel. . ." The boy hisses, face wet with tears and- and blood. His mother's blood. Maddie's blood.

"Listen! Where's the staff?! If we can get to it, we can send you back!" His fingers dig into your arm, between your bones, nails cutting through the skin, "You can save mom, Vlad! You have to!"

The words send a jolt through you. You're awake again. She's not dead. Not yet. You can still save her. You can still save Maddie. "Come on, Daniel!" He's surprised and relieved all at the same time, and it only takes one glance for you to know that the men will break free from the ice very soon. You're only marginally aware of the other people in the room that are all in different states of disarray and shock. The only things that matter right now are you, Daniel, and getting to the staff. "I left it down in your parent's lab!"

"Alright!" He takes off across the room, pulling you along with him. The two of you stop outside the door to the lab, and you turn to see the men escaping from their prison. You're about to switch forms, but he's gotten the door open and he growls at you that you can't risk it.

You barrel down the stairs, slamming the door shut behind you and locking it. You know that won't hold for long, but you're going to need all the time you can get. Daniel already has the staff in his hand, and you grab onto it with him. "Daniel, we don't know what to do! We haven't-"

He cuts you off with a shout. "Then try! Try as hard as you can!" The door is busted down, and the men race down after you.

You focus on the staff, and it feels the same as before and you're going to tell him that when suddenly

There's power racing through it enough power you know for sure it's strong and

Daniel lets go. You're still holding onto the staff, and the feeling hasn't changed.

He looks back at you. There is an expression on his face, one you can't quite name.

You close your eyes as tight as you can. "**Send me back.**" You hear cogs whirling within the staff, and as your eyes re-open, the world begins to fall apart. The last thing you see before everything breaks away is the men aiming their weapons towards you, and Daniel moving in-between.

**8:00**

When you wake, you're sitting alone in your mansion. Your heart is still racing in your chest. The calendar tells you it's the day of the party, and the sky outside the window tells you it's early in the morning. You did it.

You jumped back in time.

You should be getting up and trying to fix things and make sure that. . . doesn't happen again, but all you can do is sit and breath. Calm down. Images flash through your mind, Maddie, beautiful Maddie, her kind face dyed red, Daniel crying over her body. His face is a filthy mixture of blood and tears.

Your head drops into your hands and you breath.

8:00

You're up and shifting through your library, looking for something that could help you, when Daniel shows up at your door. _To tell you about the party, _your mind supplies before he even opens his mouth. He tries to talk to you, but you don't have the time for this. You've already wasted too much.

He's staring at you, mouth half open, and you shout at him to leave. He looks angry, but he'll thank you later.

On a second thought, before he leaves, you tell him not to go home. Daniel turns back to you, eyes searching, and then he's gone.

You hope he listens, just this once.

8:00

Maddie dying is unacceptable. This is something that cannot, and will not happen. You won't let it. You close your eyes to think.

How did she die?

At the party, when it's stormed by agents looking for yourself and Daniel. Your stomach twists with guilt.

How to avoid it?

As long as you and Daniel stay away from her, she shouldn't get hurt. She was only caught in the crossfire. Angry at yourself for chasing Daniel off, you storm from your mansion. Now you have to find him.

Locating Daniel takes you the better part of the day. You're tired and furious by the time you finally see him, crouched and laughing with his friends behind a building.

Instead of wrenching him away like you should have, you stand a ways off and watch them.

The clock ticks past six, and nothing happens. It's taken a while, but you're finally starting to relax. Daniel says goodbye to his friends, and heads home. You follow behind at a distance.

He stops.

"You know, it's real creepy when you hide around like that, Vlad." There is a smile in his voice. You say nothing.

You're both quiet, and neither of you move. After what seems like hours, Daniel speaks up again. "Something happened, didn't it." He turns towards you so you can see his face, and he looks deadly serious.

"Yes." You don't bother beating around the bush. Not now.

"You jumped back in time, didn't you?" Somehow, you're not surprised. The boy certainly can be sharp sometimes.

You've just never considered it a good thing before.

". . . Yes, I did." You make yourself visible, and walk up to meet him. The two of you walk side by side down the street, at a leisurely pace. It's quiet again until Daniel stops in front of an old playground. It's dark, and empty of children. He sits down on one of the swings, and you lean against the metal support bar.

"What happened, Vlad? Why did you. . . come back?"

You're not sure telling him is a good idea, but the words come out regardless.

"We were at your graduation party." He looks at you in surprise, and you realize that in this timeline, you didn't let him ask you to come earlier. "The Guys in White burst in with weapons." Daniel pales until he looks like a sheet. "They demanded you and I go with them."

He looks down at his feet. "Then, they know. About what we are."

"I would assume so. Honestly, I'm surprised they haven't shown up. I was almost certain. . ."

Daniel's head snaps up, and you see a flash of realization across his face. "That's why you were sticking around. Just in case."

You nod tightly, and he goes back to looking at his feet. "Vlad, what happened after that?"

This is getting into territory you'd rather not cover. You look away.

"Tell me!"

You choke. "They shot her. She died, Daniel. She-"

"Who. Vlad, who died?! Was it-"

"Maddie."

You've slid down to the ground, and you're staring up at the sky.

He's silent as he takes it in.

8:00

The two of you are standing outside the Fenton house, and the stars are bright in the sky. It's not late enough yet to be cold, and the warm summer air is suffocating. Daniel walks up to the door. You're about to leave when the wind carries his voice over to you, tiny and shaking. "Vlad, the door. It's open."

You shoot him an unamused look. "Yes, yes, Daniel. They left it unlocked. So?"

He's gone perfectly still, barely breathing at all. "No, not unlocked. _Open_."

You suddenly feel unable to breathe and you quickly meet him at the door.

Daniel looks at you and nods. He slowly presses the door open, and jumps inside. You follow swiftly, ectoplasm crackling across your skin, waiting to be used. The house is dark, but just light enough for you to see the disarray the furniture is in. Some toppled, some broken. Bile is rising in your throat, and your hands clench at your sides. Sparks fly from your fists, skittering across the haphazard surfaces in the room. Daniel is not faring much better, you realize, as you see thin lines of ice form on nearby objects.

In the kitchen is a note.

8:00

You're invisible when you show up at the appointed place from the note, but you know it probably won't help. Daniel is grim next to you.

All you can do is hope you've come in time, and that Maddie will be alright.

You're in an old, abandoned warehouse. The walls are peeling and it has a dusty, dank feel to it. It might have still been in the final stages of construction when it was deserted, as there are odd things scattered about, like pulleys and long planks of wood.

It's strangely empty. You thought this place would be crawling with men, but there are none to be seen. Alarm bells are ringing in your mind, loud and clear. It doesn't take you long to find Maddie. She is knocked out, and being kept in the open. That's when you understand that this isn't just some kind of hostage negotiation. It's a full on trap.

You try to warn Daniel to think things through before he acts, but he's already racing to his mother. You take off after him, and the minute the two of you are in the open everything explodes. Men are coming out of the woodworks, shouting. You'd give it a good 3 seconds before they start shooting.

Maddie groans as her consciousness returns. You decide that's good enough, and grab her hand. Daniel is looking around madly, and you realize why.

You would certainly be fine with leaving Jack there, but you have a sick feeling that Daniel won't. The first shot is fired, and it barely misses his head. "I have to find my dad! Take mom, get her out of here!" You try to scream at him, but he's looking at you again, and for a moment the entire world slows to a stop. The look on his face is so much like the one he gave you the first time around, and you still can't figure out what it is.

And then he's gone, racing deeper into the building with guns firing after him.

You suck in a deep breath, and know not to lose this chance. Most of the men are too busy shooting after Daniel to pay attention to you. Maddie is still only just waking up, and is disorientated. She has no idea what's happening. You grip her wrist tight and take off. There is a shout from the rafters, and you know they've already spotted you running.

When they shoot, they're met with an angry bolt of ectoplasm in return.

Maddie is stumbling behind you, but she's finally realized the danger she's in. The two of you bust through the front doors, and you're almost sure you've made it. Daniel will show up in a few moments with his father - how could he not? The boy is insufferably good at doing what he does - and everything will be fine. Everything will be fine.

A beeping alarm from your phone tells you it's eight PM. You really wish you would have turned that thing off earlier.

A shot rings out, and you feel a sudden resistance behind you. Maddie's hand goes slack in your grasp.

**8:00**

When you wake up this time, you feel numb. You sit and stare at the clock in front of you. It's eight in the morning. When you look down, you almost expect to see her blood on your hands again.

It's around noon when you find her. You almost thought you'd see her singlehandedly taking down a ghost somewhere, but she's just shopping.

"Maddie!" She looks up from the fruit display, eyes wide and darting around the store, searching for whoever called her name. When she sees you outside through the window, you can almost see her face scrunch up in distaste. You run inside, almost knocking a few people over as you do. When you get to her, you immediately grab her hand and turn to run.

She's outright glaring at you now, and trying to get her arm free. "Vlad! Just what do you think you're doing?!"

"Listen, Maddie, I need you to trust me! Just this once! Please!" She is on the floor, and blood is running down her face. Her hand is going limp in yours as gunshots deaden your hearing.

Maddie is stiff, but she seems to have heard something in your voice. She isn't glaring anymore. "Vlad, what in heavens is going on?"

"I can't explain right now, but I will! I just- you have to get somewhere safe! Please, Maddie!" She seems to be considering it, and you loosen your grip on her hand.

She immediately wrenches it out, and shakes her head. "I appreciate your concern, Vlad. Really, I do. But I'll be fine. You don't have to worry about me."

_Yes, I do!_ You want to scream at her, you don't want to watch her die again, you have to save her.

She leaves.

8:00

It's around four when you get an idea. You call Daniel over, ignoring the overwhelming feeling of deja vu as you explain to him what's happened for the second time. He's shaken, but determined. You can see it in his eyes.

You and Daniel have had a lot of fights in the past. It's really all you've ever done. For a while, you were sure that the two of you would never actually work side by side.

But now. . .

You think maybe the cold steel dedication you can see in his bright blue eyes is mirrored in your own.

8:00

It's disgustingly easy to raze the entire warehouse to the ground. The Guys in White haven't set up yet, and are not expecting an attack. You let Daniel blast the building.

You deal with the men inside, scurrying about like ants when their hill has been disturbed.

Murder has never felt so good.

Daniel feels bad about what you did, but when he sees his mother waiting for him to get home with a displeased look on her face, you know he understands.

It's six now.

Daniel goes up to his room, and you stay downstairs to talk to Maddie. She asks what was wrong earlier, and you smile. Nothing is wrong now.

Jack gets home, and you find yourself quickly scurrying up the stairs to get away from him.

You knock on Daniel's door, and let yourself in seconds after. He raises his eyebrow at you, and snorts. "Why even bother knocking?"

"It's the polite thing to do. No that you would know, of course." You poke at him with mocking words, but he laughs.

"It's not polite when you just barge in thoughtlessly afterwards! I mean, I could have been doing anything in here." You just stare at him as his face reddens. "I- I wasn't- wasn't talking about _that_!"

"I didn't say that you were. It seems like your mind was the one to go there first, hmm?"

He splutters something incoherent. After a pregnant pause, he jumps onto his bed, and pulls one of his blankets over his mangy mess of hair.

"And now you're leaping back to the scene of the crime? Are you trying to. . . _tell me something_, Daniel? I'll have you know, I'm much too old for you-"

Daniel cuts you off with a noise that sounds more like the cry of a dying cat than anything human, and pokes his head out of the blanket. "As if I'd ever go for you, you crazy old fruitloop!"

"You wound me, Daniel! And here I thought we had something special!" You make an exaggerated fainting gesture with your hand over your forehead, and drop next to him on the bed. The brat snorts again and turns to look out his window.

". . . Thank you, Vlad. For going through all of this. . . to save mom." You wish you could see his face. His voice is wavering.

"Don't thank me. You. . . you've helped as well, Daniel. I would never have been able to get this far without you."

Daniel doesn't say anything after that, so you get up and head downstairs.

Jack is in the kitchen, looking confused. Nothing new there. "Jack, I'm leaving! Where is Maddie, I would love to say goodbye before I go. I probably won't be back for a while."

"She went out to the store, V-Man! We're all out of fudge!" The oaf's jolly voice booms and you nod shortly. Jack looks like he's about to cry as he crushes you in a painful hug, and waves you goodbye.

8:00

It's eight when you get back home. You sit down on the unnatural white chair. There is something prickling at your stomach, some unknown feeling of discomfort.

Your cell phone rings.

"Hello, this is Vlad Masters speaking. May I ask who is calling me so late?"

The other line is silent, except for a strange noise that you can't make out.

"Hello?!"

The noise is getting louder and louder, almost like-

Crying. It's crying.

"Who is this?! What's going on?!"

The person on the other line is sobbing, but you've heard this before. Your mind races as you try to place it - unbidden, pictures arise in your mind - of a party and Maddie dead- don't think about that it's over- someone? crying? crying over her body-

"Daniel. . . is that you?"

A wretched gasp comes cracking through the line, and you feel a twisting unease.

"V-Vlad, she-"

More sobbing.

"-she slipped- she slipped and fell- there's- there's so much blood- Vlad I think- I don't think she's moving -"

The phone drops out of your hand and clatters to the floor.

**8:00**

You try again, and again, and again, and again _and again and again and again and again and again and again. _

You stay near her to protect her, you fail and she dies.

You stay away from her, she dies.

You forcefully send her away, and the plane goes down. She dies.

Whether it's murder or an accident, she dies every _single time. _

Your heart hurts, but you don't stop trying. Somehow- there has to be a way. When you close your eyes, all you can see is blood and her beautiful, _dead _face. Every time, she dies at exactly 8:00, no exceptions.

It's almost as if fate itself has decided on her death.

You're wandering through a purgatory of time.

You would give anything; do anything to save her if you could.

Nothing works.

You're already a broken man; you broke when the only two friends you had left you for dead. The jagged pieces left of you are just eroding away now.

8:00

You don't know what number this try is. You've lost track.

Everything is an empty blur.

Your mansion seems cold and unwelcoming, and the library is useless. There's nothing in any of these books that can help you. You'd know, you've read every single one. Looking. Searching for something that was never there. You're so tired.

Footsteps. You look up. Daniel is standing before you, arms crossed and foot tapping. For a moment, you're back - back in the very beginning when he first showed up at your door.

"Please. . . go away, Daniel. I'm busy."

"It's _Danny, _and you don't look busy."

You aren't exactly doing anything, but that's beside the point.

"That's none of your business, brat. Now _get out of my mansion._" You all but hiss, his eyes narrowing.

"What's going on, Vlad?" He sounds like he thinks he's helping.

You've answered that question for him more times than you can count. It hasn't changed a thing.

There's no point. Nothing is working anyways.

"Vlad!" He shouts, and stomps his foot.

You roar in frustration, and shoot him across the room with an ectoblast. He slams into one of the bookcases, and some old books tear when the hit the ground. It doesn't matter. There's nothing useful in them, anyways.

He shakily gets to his feet and growls, wiping some blood from the corner of his mouth. A bright flash of light, and you're facing Phantom.

Two can play at that game. You change into Plasmius, and the two of you are shooting and clawing and beating at each other just like old times. He freezes your legs together, and you grab onto his forehead, electrocuting him. He kicks you in the face, and you almost break his leg.

You're tired. He's still fine.

Once, you might have been able to beat him. Kill him, even. But now. . . you've grown weak, that much is blatantly obvious.

Whether it's a physical or an emotional weakness, you still don't know.

You're lying on the floor and he's standing over you in a clear position of victory. Exhaustion seeps in, and you return to your human form. Daniel follows suit. He holds out a hand to help you up, but you sit up on your own. After a moment, he sits down next to you.

"What's going on, Vlad?"

You tell him.

He takes it surprisingly well. He's never reacted like this, you don't think. Daniel doesn't even seem too surprised. He gets up and walks across the room with his hand on his chin, thinking. What does he think he's going to do? Somehow stumble across an answer that you haven't thought of yet, after all this time? You ask him as such.

He looks surprised, and then suddenly

He's in your face, furious and even looking a touch - scared?

"Listen, Vlad! There's still hope! Don't you dare sulk off like a dog! Get up!" His grip tight on your arm, he pulls you to your feet angrily. "You've always been the most annoying, hard to get rid of, frustratingly clever person I've had to face! You're Vlad Masters, the guy that kept coming back, over and over, to try and get his way! If you quit and give up now, _you don't deserve to keep that name, do you hear me?!_ If you quit now, she's going to die! My mother's going to die!"

He's huffing like he's out of breath, and the knuckles on the hand that's holding your arm are turning white.

Daniel's grip loosens, and your arm falls limply to your side.

"What do you think is happening here?" His tone is even, and he's not quite looking at you. He's refusing to meet your eyes. He thinks he shouldn't have yelled.

You press your fingers into your eyes, and shake your head. You have no idea. Fate. Fate is trying to kill Maddie. You won't let it. But you already did, didn't you? Dozens of times.

"I don't learn much in school, you know. I try to, but I'm busy with other stuff." The last bit he chokes out like a joke, one that he knows you'll understand. You do. "Between my scientist parents and school, though, there is one thing I'm almost pretty sure I do know." He walks over to one of your desk drawers and pulls out a piece of paper and a fancy ballpoint pen. Curious, you look over his shoulder.

"It's like this." He draws a circle in the middle of the page."Cause and effect. What's the effect that we're trying to stop? Mom from dying." He writes her name in the circle. He draws another circle, above it, and connects the two with a line. "This is the cause, that's resulting in mom dying. This is what we have to stop." He looks back up to you, pointing at the new circle.

You sigh and shake your head again. "It's fate, Daniel. How are you supposed to stop fate?"

"Imagine it's not! We just have to find a way to stop it!"

"That's what I've been trying to do. It hasn't worked. Nothing has." He growls at you, and tosses the pen into the mess of books the two of you knocked over while you were fighting. _That was a nice pen_, you almost whimper.

"Then we'll keep looking!" He looks out the window, eyes racing as he tries to think. Suddenly, he spins around. "Clockwork! He's the one that told me some of the stuff about the staff! Like how to work it and junk! Maybe he can help us!"

A flare lights in your heart that feels suspiciously like hope. You would rather it not be. You don't trust that ghost. Not one bit.

But, it's the only thing you have right now.

"Fine."

8:00

The tower is just as menacing looking as ever. You fight the urge to shiver as the two of you fly in, landing in the main room.

The ghost, Clockwork, is there this time. He is an old man, a young one, and a baby all at the same time. You're uneasy. This ghost is. . . powerful. Almost unimaginably so. You feel like a small animal, mindlessly wandering into the trap of a hunter.

Daniel, however, seems to be completely at ease. "Clockwork!" This boy is going to be the death of you, you're sure.

Clockwork smiles fondly, and nods his head in Daniel's direction. When his red eyes meet yours, however, all pretenses of friendliness are wiped from his face. His eyes tell you that you're a bug on the bottom of his proverbial shoe, and a shiver races up your spine.

"Young Daniel. It is a pleasure. I assume your companion is the thief, Vlad Masters?"

Funny. You almost forgot the staff in your hand was his. Judging by the look on his face and his greeting, it seems the ghost is not as forgiving as Daniel seemed to think. You hold the staff tighter. If he takes it from you now, you won't be able to save her.

"I won't make you give it back, thief. You can calm down."

Daniel seems to have finally noticed the tension in the air, and looks uncomfortable. You wonder, if a fight did break out, which side he'd join.

Probably not yours, after the way you treated him earlier.

"Clockwork, we need help! It's- It's my mom. She-"

The ghost cuts him off. "I already know what is going on, and why the two of you are here."

You speak up. "Can you help us?" Clockwork fixes you with a terrifying glare, and you feel like shrinking into your boots.

"Thief, I would advise against bringing attention upon yourself. Just because I am allowing you to continue frolicking with my possessions does not mean I like it." Daniel stiffens next to you, and for a moment you're worried he's going to say something and get the both of you killed.

And then he does.

"Clockwork, please! There- there has to be something? Anything?" The boy all but pleads, and you think, _this is it. That ghost is going to kill us both, and Maddie is going to follow. _

Clockwork turns away from you. You breathe out.

"What do you know about time?" The ghost's question is ridiculous. What are you supposed to know? He's the master of it.

Daniel shakes his head slightly, frowning. "Almost nothing."

"Time is like a train with an infinite amount of railroads. It is a train that putters down one timeline, one railroad. When a change in the timeline occurs, those tracks change and the train is transferred to another road. Do you understand?"

Your mind is racing with the new information, and you're nodding along with Daniel. His voice is a little bit confused, but determined. "Yeah, I think so."

Clockwork continues. "There are billions, trillions of tiny rails that split off from the main railroad. Those tiny rails, at certain points in time, connect to other main railroads."

You have to admit, he's lost you here. Daniel seems to agree, and speaks up. "Other. . . main railroads? Wouldn't there be only one?"

The ghost shakes his head. "No, not at all. The more tiny changes are made, or the more tiny rails jumped, the closer you get to another main rail." Clockwork turns back to face you, face stony. "What _you've _done is switch main rails completely."

What? "What?" You could hug Daniel right now.

"You've created a paradox. The two of you, messing with that staff needlessly, have derailed time so far away from its proper course on the tracks that-" He looks at you, and if you didn't know better you'd think the expression on his face was almost _mocking_. "-fate itself has become tied to Madeline Fenton's death. You've moved to a different timeline, one where she dies undisputedly, no matter what you do."

You can't drag your eyes away from your feet. It's your fault. You thought that- maybe- it might have been- but this confirmation is painful. It's all entirely your fault. You dug this hole with your own greed for more power, and now. . .

"So she'll be fine if we can get back to the old timeline?"

Your head snaps up and you look at Daniel. The boy is still shining brightly with hope, undeterred from his mission.

For a fleeting moment, you look at him and feel admiration for a bratty, insufferable, foolish, brave, strong eighteen year old boy.

Clockwork regards the two of you appraisingly. After a few moments, he nods. "Yes. By my understanding, if you can undo all the changes you made, she should be saved."

You don't feel his eyes come off your back as the two of you leave.

8:00

It's almost easy, after that. Sometimes, you have a little trouble remembering changes you made, but it's almost insulting to think that one of the things that have been stopping you all this time is that damnable white chair. That one you certainly won't forget, and you can't wait for it's time to come.

The last change, with the city, you make alone. You never told Daniel about it, and you can't think he'd like to know. It's over now, anyways.

When you wake back up after the change, you're surprised to find it still the same day you left. You were worried that you'd wake up on the day you originally made the change, and you'd have to explain everything to Daniel again.

Suddenly, being the only person to remember the before of timeline changes isn't such a nice thing. You had thought it an amazing gift, earlier, but now. . .

Daniel is smirking when you have to reverse the business contract change, but it falls from his face when he remembers what came before it.

It's a tough thing to do, making that girl die in the car crash again. You're worried for a moment that Daniel will argue and you really- you don't think you could handle that right now.

You quickly realize that Daniel will remember changes you've yet to fix, but after you fix them, their whole existence is wiped from his mind. Your stomach twists as you think back and remember the memories of times the two of you spent together that might be getting wiped away with them.

Re-crashing the stock market is interesting. When you can see straight again, you notice a few things missing from the room around you. When you ask Daniel what happened to them, his face twists in confusion. He seems to be getting more and more lost. You can't look at him.

The last thing you have to fix is something as stupid and simple as not buying one bottle of wine. It almost seems like an… anticlimactic ending to such a horrid and twisted tale, but you don't mind. You're tired, and you've been trying to save her for far too long. You want it to be over.

When you wake up, the chair is green again.

8:00

Daniel still comes around that day, but he is distant, as if he's not quite sure what he's doing there. He doesn't remember anything. He doesn't remember fiddling with the staff, or saving his mother. He has no idea. Everything is completely gone.

You've never felt more alone in your whole life.

8:00

You're at the graduation party. You don't feel like you should be here. You're a stranger.

You head outside without telling anyone, and walk leisurely down the street.

You come up on the old playground you and Daniel sat at and talked on. You sit down on the swing he was in.

Somewhere around an hour passes, but you don't feel like moving. You close your eyes, and you're so tired.

Alarms. Loud, shrill, ringing alarms. You're startled out of your half-awake mind, and jump up. An ambulance is racing down the street, screaming its siren.

You know- there's no way- you did it- did it right-

You chase after it anyways.

8:00

The Fenton House is up in flames. There's sobbing you've heard before, and you know it's Daniel before you look. He feels guilty, you know, as two men in uniform carry a body from the house.

So do you.

**8:00**

You scream when you wake back up in your mansion at eight am on Monday, June 14th.

You don't stop until your throat is sore and raw.

You don't understand. Why is she still dying? You reversed all the changes you made. You did what Clockwork said.

Daniel shows up, right on time. You grab his shoulders and shake him around. "I need you to take me to see Clockwork!"

He looks at you in surprise, but nods.

On the way, you tell him everything.

8:00

"You! Tell me what's going on! We did what you said, we fixed everything we did! Why_ is she still dying! __**Please!**_" You shout at the ghost, and if you had any self-preservation instincts left they would be screaming at you. You're too far gone to care. You can't do this anymore. No more.

He looks at you coolly, and smiles. It's a terrifying smile, one that you'll be seeing in your nightmares for the rest of your life.

"_Have_ you?" He asks.

8:00

You're pacing across your library. You notice that everything is in perfect order. There is no sign of a fight here. You have to close your eyes and look away.

It's getting to be too much.

"Vlad, there has to be something! Something you're forgetting!" Daniel is standing by your desk, arms crossed and foot tapping. He does that a lot, you think airily.

"Will you shut up?! I'm trying to think!" You squeeze your eyes shut, and knead your fingers to your temples.

The changes. Changes you made with the staff. Ones you haven't already fixed.

What are you not remembering?

You hear Daniel saying something, but you're too wrapped up in your own thoughts to tell what it is.

_remember-changes-staff-fix-talking-danielshutup-ca ntthink-maddie-saveher-daniel-staff-fix-change-dan iel-alley_

Your eyes fly open, and you feel the floor drop away from out under your feet. Your whole body is shaking, and you know Daniel can see because he's finally _shut up. _

The alleyway. When you- when you found- found Daniel-

"No." The word escapes your lips like air. "_No." _

It's too much.

8:00

You've broken down. You're sitting at the desk, emptily staring out the window. Daniel hasn't said anything. He's staring at you, trying to figure out what happened. What you remembered.

You have to find another way. You won't- you can't- not after everything that's-

Another way. Is there even another way? What even happened that night? It was so long ago, you'd completely forgotten. You were so busy thinking about other things, thinking about Maddie, that you'd forgotten-

To save Maddie, you have to let Daniel die.

"Vlad. . . did we. . . did we get into a fight in this room? Sometime?" You stare at him. He's looking around the room, eyes fixing on certain places. The bookshelf he knocked into. The table you pushed over. "I. . . I think I remember it when I'm dreaming. There are a lot of things that, now. . . I'm not sure they've been dreams at all. I don't think I actually remember, but. . . some part of me, somewhere. . . "

No.

"Did you. . .? Did you remember? What you need to do?"

You mutely nod your head. He gapes at you for a minute, and jumps into action. Like every time he's done before.

"Then- what- what are you doing?! Come on, hurry, we have to- what Clockwork said"

"No. I can't." You won't.

"W-what?! Vlad, what the- she'll die! You can't-"

"I'll find another way." You have to.

Daniel stands over your shoulder, and asks quietly. "What was it? The first change you made?"

He's sharp, you know.

You shake your head, not trusting your voice. Not now.

"Vlad, you have to tell me!" How many times have you heard that? "What was it?"

You shake your head.

He badgers on and on, trying to get you to talk to him. Not this time.

Not like this.

"Vlad!" He shouts your name, and leans down. You're almost face to face, and this time when he opens his mouth, it's a hushed and calm tone that comes out. "You've been trying to do this for so long now, and now you're just going to quit? Over one tiny thing? I won't think differently of you, Vlad, no matter what it is. You can do it."

You stare at him. He backs away, and waits. He knows he's won. After an eternity of silence, you hang your head and tell him.

About the alley, and who you found dead inside it.

You can't- can't look at him. Can't see his face.

His hand, formed into a fist, slams down onto the desk in front of you. His voice is strained, but big with a false sort of bravado. "What've you been trying to do this whole time, Vlad?"

_What? _"I. . . I've been. . . I've been trying to save Maddie, of course. . . You-" He's puffing his chest out, almost like he's trying to look bigger than he really is.

His mouth pulls downward, and his bottom lip wobbles a bit. Forcing himself not to cry. You don't want to think about that. You've heard him cry enough now.

"Then why. . . Then why are you stopping now?"

Daniel's words ring out, cutting through the silence the two of you had built like a sharp knife, dripping the blood of the few people in the world you care about. You press the palms of your hands into your eyes and shake your head, murmuring.

Fingers circle around one of your wrists, and he gently tugs one of your hands away from your face. "You've got a goal to reach, Vlad. You have to save her. For both you and me, you understand?" And he's holding something out to you. You don't have to look, you know it's the staff.

It seems heavier this time, in your grasp. Before, it had seemed so light, so easy to wield, but now. . . it feels like it weighs a ton. _Weighed down with your pain, hopes, dreams, and his life _your mind thinks deliriously.

You don't want to touch it.

Arms are tight around your stomach. For a moment, you don't understand. And then- he's hugging you. He's almost four years older now from when you first met him, but he still barely comes up to your chest. He barely comes up to your chest, but right now Daniel Fenton seems larger than life itself. It's sort of ironic, really.

When he steps away, you finally look down at the staff in your hand. You had thought it would look different, somehow, but its familiar normality is mocking you.

Daniel casts his vision down at the ground, and closes his eyes. "Maybe it would be better. . . if I wasn't here."

He almost gets to the door before you stop him.

You're pulling him back, and it was on instinct, not thought. You don't know what you're going to do.

When he stumbles backwards, he knocks into you. The both of you are barely left standing, and he's facing you, holding your arms for balance. His eyes are locked with yours, and in that moment

in that moment you lean down and kiss him. Your free hand comes up to rest on the side of his face, and after a few seconds of shock he's kissing you back. You feel him shudder, and he's sobbing. Tears run down his cheeks, getting caught against your thumb and mixing into your mouth. You don't know when it happened, but you want to hold him tight and never let go. You have Daniel, warm and caring, in one hand. In the other is the biting cold metal of the staff, and your mind is screaming traitor. To what- you don't know.

You kiss Daniel Fenton for the first and last time, and run your fingers over the engraved runes on the staff. You pull back slightly, your mouth still hovering inches away from his.

"_Do not save him. Let Daniel Fenton die." _

You don't know which is louder, the whirling of the cogs within the staff coming to life, or the tiny sobs wracking Daniel's frame.

**8:00**

When you wake up this time, you're standing alone in the library of your mansion. The entire place looks exactly like you left it.

There is no sign that Daniel has ever stayed here. You even look in the trash, and the disgusting sandwich you'd tossed out is no-where to be found.

Finally, after so much, you break down. The next thing you know, you're on the kitchen floor surrounded by heaps of stinking trash, and you're crying.

This time, you know you are victorious.

Maddie is safe.

8:00

You don't belong here. The sun is shining brightly down on the gathering, birds chirping merrily from the trees. People are crying, but you don't have the right.

You killed him, after all.

It's funny that June 14th, the day of his graduation party, should also be the day of his funeral.

0:00

-:-

0:00


	2. TRUE END

8:00

When you find the staff under the chair in your library you want to break it.

Instead, you bring it back to its owner.

Clockwork regards you with distaste as you toss the staff at him from across the room. It clatters to the floor and rolls to his feet. The ghost bends down, and picks it up with an elegant swipe of his hand.

As you're about to leave, Clockwork stops you with a single question. "Did you enjoy power, Vlad Masters?"

Slowly, you turn around. "Enjoy? _Enjoy?!_ Do you even-" The fury coursing through your veins is red-hot, and all thoughts of your own safety are swept from your mind.

"Yes, I do know. Then again, I do know everything." You stand across the room from each other. Clockwork is cool and at ease, and you are angry and broken. Angry at what's happened, angry at Clockwork for letting you have the staff, but most of all angry at yourself. Suddenly, his words pierce you, and a small yet terrifying thought comes unbidden to your mind.

"You. . . know? Does that mean. . . you knew what was going to happen? You knew what. . . what was going to happen to Maddie if I took that staff?" You barely breathe the words out, and for a moment you're worried the ghost didn't hear you. However, he shatters that illusion - and the one of your happiness - with a nod of his head.

"Of course. As I told Daniel when he came to me with his concerns- Some lessons must be learned the hard way, Vlad Masters."

Your vision blurs. "Lessons? Did you make me go through all of this to teach me a _lesson?!" _

Clockwork smiles. "I never forced you to do a thing. You brought all of this on yourself, remember? You made your bed, so now it's time for you to lay in it."

"No! I- I can't accept that!" You shout at him, and it's not enough. "There has to be something, anything you can do! You're not even going to try and help him?!"

"Will you?" Clockwork holds the staff out to you, a tantalizing trick you now know well. "You'll choose him over the woman you've loved for twenty years?"

You shake your head violently. Absolutely not. "No! Isn't there some way to save them both?! I've learned my _lesson, _don't make him pay for it with his life!"

The ghost laughs, smooth and melodic. "You're greedy, Masters." He turns to face a swirling portal, a bright vortex of fantastical lights. "But. . . for once, with good intentions."

Your heart skips a beat. Is he. . . ?

"It is not impossible."

The words are like a breath of fresh air. You want to shout and jump for joy, but stay silent. This moment is too important.

"You have to change the past without effecting the present."

What? What is that supposed to mean? Growling, you're about to protest for more information when he cuts you off.

"You have to change the past so that Daniel does not die, yet _you _still go through these two weeks. You cannot create another paradox, or the timeline will switch again to fix itself. Then, who knows what will happen?" Clockwork is still not facing you, but as he speaks his tone gradually grows lighter. "You have to build your own train tracks now, Masters. I believe the me of another universe has taken to calling this the 'Stein's Gate.' Are you prepared?"

You understand.

8:00

Clockwork sends you back in time. He explains that this travel is different - you are no longer just sending your mind back. This time, your entire body has been transported to the past. You have one rule: You cannot let your younger self see you. If he does, another paradox will occur.

Before he lets you go, however, he has one last piece of advice to share with you.

"Ignorance is bliss, Vlad Masters."

8:00

It's still light out when you get there. There is no wind or breeze, and everything seems perfectly still. There are no birds chirping, no pitter-patter of tiny animals racing through the trees. It's almost as if the whole world is holding it's breath, waiting to see what you will do and how you'll do it.

The thought invigorates you.

The first thing you do is race to the alley where you found him. It's empty with no sign of anything having already happened. No sign of what would happen here in a short amount of time. It's almost funny - you were expecting this place to be... dark, somehow.

You have to find Daniel.

8:00

When you find him, it's in the middle of a crowd of teenagers. Casper High must have just gotten out, you realize. You try to find a way to get the boy alone, to talk - you're not sure what you're going to say, honestly - but there is nothing you can do short of forcing yourself through them. So that's what you do.

"Daniel!" You hope he doesn't notice the waver in your voice. If you can do this without him understanding what's happening, it will make everything so much easier. Easier on him or easier on you, you're still not sure.

"What do you want, Vlad?" The tone of his voice takes you aback for a moment. It's been awhile since you've heard real venom in his voice directed at you. You shake it off like a dog shakes off water.

"I need to speak to you about something important." You look sharply at Mrs. Manson and Mr. Foley. "Alone." The expression they give you is almost comical - disbelieving eyes and gaping mouths. _Does he really think they're that stupid?_ he can read on their faces. Daniel has the audacity to look bored; and **why **are you going through all this trouble for this ungrateful brat?! All you have to do is close your eyes and unbidden, you can see him sobbing in your arms again and you know why. You always will.

When you reopen them, Daniel is looking at you strangely. Maybe he's noticed you're acting odd, maybe he's just messing around. You'll never know because right as he opens his mouth, a blue mist seeps out in his breath and you understand that he won't listen to you anymore. He changes, and flies off. His friends are left with you, looking strangely contemplative at the fear you know must be creeping across your face.

You leave.

8:00

You can't find him anywhere. It's getting late; panic is riding on your heels as you search. You've passed by the alleyway over and over, but he doesn't show up. Questions begin to arise in your mind. What was he doing there? Why wasn't anyone with him? And most importantly, who hurt him?

A streak of green in the sky catches your attention, and your neck almost cracks as you search wildly for it's source. You hear a motor drawing closer to you, and you're surprised to see Jack's ridiculous RV. What the hell is it doing here? Maddie is hanging from the passenger window, aiming a large ectogun into the sky. Jack is behind the steering wheel, whooping and slamming his disgustingly fat, flabby hand on the horn repeatedly.

Sick understanding slams into you. Without looking, you know that Daniel is flying past. Without asking them what they're doing, you know the Fentons are ghost hunting. The rest of the pieces just fall together, like a morbid puzzle you never wanted to solve.

Maddie's gun fires, and another green ray shoots into the sky. Your heart almost stops when you hear a yelp above you, but a quick glance tells you the boy is alright. A little worse for wear, but at least still half-alive.

Without thinking, you shout at them to stop. Jack slams on the breaks, and stares at you in confusion. "Vladdie? What are you doing here?" Suddenly, he seems to remember what he's doing, and his face lights up in delight. "We've almost got Phantom, V-Man! Come on, jump in! It'll be just like the old days! Old college buddies Jack and Vlad - ghost hunting together again!" Maddie scoffs; she doesn't like you, but if you being around makes Jack happy, she's willing to oblige.

You just feel cold.

You stare at them unbelievingly, not sure what to do. Before you can decide on a plan, Maddie fires again. Instead of running, the stupid boy, Daniel has stuck around. He's floating there, curiously watching to see what's going to happen. Her shot grazes his cheek, and his hand cups the wound gingerly as he turns to fly away again.

He waited too long. Jack fires a strange looking gun at Daniel that hits him square in the chest, and Daniel begins to drop out of the air. You can tell from the panicked look on the boy's face that this isn't what he wants to be doing. A neutralizer, then.

A split decision. You jump in front of the boy when he lands with your arms raised out in a protective matter.

"What are you doing, V-Man?!"

"Move, Vlad! He's going to get away!"

You shake your head, movements sharp. Your gaze doesn't leave their faces. This won't happen. You won't allow it.

This... seething, burning anger towards Jack Fenton builds once again in the pit of your stomach. You'd been so busy trying to save Maddie that you'd forgotten... you'd forgotten about how much you _hated _this man. Your fingers curl inwards, forming your hands into shaking fists.

The undiluted hatred spills into your eyes, tinting your vision red. Maddie is looking at you in disbelief, with a hint of fear. Then-

You've become Plasmius. That explains it. You hadn't even noticed.

You don't care.

You won't let this cockroach of a man ruin things in your life any longer.

Your fists are pulsing with sickly red ectoplasm; a hideous color. You fire at the truck, and they leap out the doors just in time. The vehicle explodes in a flaming wreck, bits and pieces of chapped and burned metal flying everywhere. One strikes Maddie on the back of the head, and she falls to the ground. For a moment, two weeks of death come flying back into your heart; are you really free?

Jack checks her. She's only unconscious, you realize, as he doesn't break down sobbing. You've seen this man enough after her death to place his reaction.

Daniel is shouting at you, but you won't hear it. He can't even form an ectoblast. You don't have to worry about him anymore. He's going to be safe, and so is Maddie. They're both out of the way.

Jack runs down the alley, firing it you wildly. He never did have very good aim. You stalk in after him, leaving blazing footprints in your wake.

He's out of room, out of options. You savor it, and take your time charging the largest ectoblast you've ever made. You used to dream about torturing this man, making his death long and drawn out and painful. When faced with the option, however, you can't find it in yourself. You hate him more than you've ever hated anyone, but... one shot, one death.

It will be fast, and there will be no pain. It's the least you can do.

You fire.

A black and white flash.

Everything is still, just like when you came back in time. The world is still waiting.

Your whole body is shaking, and you can't rip your eyes away. Everything shuts down, and it takes you too long to process what's happened. The world is spinning by in flashes, and you're vaguely aware of Jack racing by you to escape while you're occupied.

You can't rip your eyes away from his face.

Daniel jumped in front of the blast. Red and green blood is covering him from almost head to toe, but his eyes are still open. You stumble to his side, and hold him in your arms. He's smiling, even as a trickle of blood runs down his chin.

"I- I couldn't let you... hurt my dad..." His voice is weak and soft.

You're spluttering, caught between yelling at him and trying to tell him to relax, don't talk, it'll be fine.

He doesn't listen, and keeps going. "Thank you... for t-trying to h-help me..." Daniel's face contorts in pain, and you can feel every single cell in your body shake with guilt. The blast would have been a painless death... for a human. His green eyes are fading into blue, and they look very, very far away. "I... I had a dream last night... it... it was... it was a good dream..." Daniel smiles at you, and a creeping feeling flits across your spine. His smile is cut short by another spasm of pain, and his eyes slide closed.

You stare into his face, and it seems so serene and calm. If he wasn't covered in blood, you think he could only be sleeping. The shocked numbness that fell over you when your ectoblast rammed into his chest dissipates with a sobbing gasp. Everything hits you at once and your _wretched scream rips through the air it's not a scream of pain but one of sadness loss regret anger and it's piercing your mind over and over you know this voice this scream this emotion this is-_

The world goes white.

8:00

Clockwork pities you, you can tell.

You're in a heap on the floor of his clock tower. He explained to you when you first woke up there that he'd had to pull you back; your younger self was heading that way. He couldn't risk a paradox.

He eyed the door of a large vault while he told you this, with an unreadable expression on his face that you didn't understand.

You can't bring yourself to get up. You know where this leads. If you try again, you'll just get burned over and over and over and over and over-

And nothing will change.

You don't have the will to fight anymore. A tiny voice in your head whispers that it was Daniel's will to fight and continue all along, and that you were simply leaning on it. Now that he's-

Your hands are still covered in his blood. Blood that you drew yourself.

Ignorance is bliss.

You double over and vomit.

"Are you going to try again? Or are you giving up on reaching the Stein's Gate?" Clockwork's smooth voice is lulling, yet harsh. You don't want to. You've been burned too many times. You know better than to start the fire all over again.

He regards you blankly for a moment, before shaking his head and turning away. Apparently, you had confirmed his opinion of you, whatever it was.

"What the hell do you want me to do after that? I can't do anything! It'll be the same thing over and over, and I won't be able to stop it, no matter how hard I try! And now, I don't even have-" You stop abruptly, and droop back down.

"And now, you don't even have him anymore. Am I right?" He doesn't have the right to look so smug. You look away, silenced.

He laughs at you. "It's at your fingertips, Masters. All that's left is for you to reach forward and grab it."

You stare at him in confusion. He shakes his head, purple cloak following the movement with inhuman grace.

Clockwork's arm extends, and he holds the staff out to you in a show of offering. "Finish what you started, Masters."

You squeeze your eyes shut, and the cold metal of the staff is hauntingly familiar against your clammy skin.

8:00

You're back in the alleyway again, with the world holding it's breath and the sun setting behind you in the sky. This time... it'll go differently. But how?

You spend the time you have thinking of a plan. You don't know if it will work, but you have to try. You can't keep going like this. This... this is your last shot. It has to work.

The first thing you do is destroy the Fenton RV. That way, Jack and Maddie won't get involved. Hopefully.

For good measure, you drop by as Masters and offer them drinks. Jack takes his immediately, and Maddie takes hers as well after some suspicion. They fall asleep within minutes. Now you're sure they won't get in the way. Before you leave, you can't help but notice Jack. The man is asleep on the couch. It would be so easy, your mind rationalizes.

You leave, and Jack sleeps safely.

8:00

You reach the alley at exactly the right time. Daniel is flying overhead, presumably heading home. It's child's play to sneak up on him as he's flying and knock him unconscious. You slowly descend into the alleyway, holding him tightly in your arms. You're not shaking anymore. You can feel it- it's going to work.

You carefully put him down right where you remember him being on that first night, and smooth the hair from his face.

You're far too proud to say it out loud, but maybe if you weren't such a self-hating person, you would have thought to bring something you could use instead. But you're not, and although you can't even admit to yourself that you hate what you've become, your stiff hand bring the knife out of your pocket.

You need blood.

Daniel has to be covered in blood to fool your younger self into thinking he's dead. Only- only that way-

The pristine silver blade of the knife is colored red and green with blood as it digs into your stomach. Your hand slips off the knife and blood pools into your cupped fingers, spilling between them. You toss as much of it as you can with your fading strength over Daniel, checking carefully to make sure he's still breathing. You know nothing could have killed him then, but you've become paranoid. You stumble as you lean over him, and twist the knife further in. Blood splashes out, soaking the black and white hazmat suit through. You reach up and touch his cheek.

Your hand isn't shaking.

As you clutch your stomach, you leave. You're at the entrance to the alleyway, and you can feel your younger self getting closer. You don't understand how, but it's there. You turn around, and take one last look.

Yes, this is definitely... the picture you saw that night.

It's perfect.

Your eyes slip closed, and you fall.

0:00

The warm sunlight filters in through the blinds pulled over your window. Groaning, you push yourself up out of bed, and stumble to the window awkwardly. Your hair is frizzing up from constantly turning on your pillow, and when you look in the mirror you can see the bags under your eyes are finally starting to wear off.

Pulling on the cord, you open the shades completely. You squint painfully as you're blinded for a few seconds, but it passes soon enough. The lock is rusted with misuse, but you wrench it open anyways. The window panes slide open with a creak, and you lean out. There is a warm breeze wafting through the air, and birds are chirping with morning cheer. A few squirrels are chasing each other through the front yard, weaving in and out of the thick trees. The world is alive, and breathing.

You feel at ease as you lightly brush where the scar on your stomach.

A loud honking blares cuts through the silence, and you see a sleek new car barreling down the road happily.

You frown at it, and close your window. It's not professional for a host to be seen wearing their nightclothes.

It doesn't take you long to get as sufficiently dressed as possible, but by the time you're done cleaning up they're knocking on your door. Before you can call for them to come in, Jack is already barreling through the door with a bouquet of bright orange flowers and a box of wrapped fudge. Maddie follows him in and gives Vlad an apologetic look. Jasmine sits down in the only chair in the room, and nods at him. She's smiling, though, so you don't feel too worried. Daniel comes in last, a soft look gracing his features.

The Fentons stay with you for an hour or two before leaving, and your tiny hospital room feels so much lighter. Daniel, however, stays behind.

"I... I don't know what you did, Vlad, but..." He contemplative as he stares out the window.

You expect for him to go into a tirade about not being fooled over this latest trick, but it doesn't come.

"Thanks." His eyes are searching you for- you honestly don't know.

You stick your nose in the air comically and flash Daniel a haughty smirk.

For some reason, he seems relieved.

-:-

**FIN**


End file.
